Pokémon Go will “likely” come to Android Wear

Pokémon Go will come to Android Wear, it appears. At TeknoHopper Disrupt SF this afternoon, John Hanke, CEO of Niantic Labs – the corporate behind probably the most viral and worthwhile mobile recreation of all time – confirmed that his staff will look into bringing recreation to different mobile platforms that are fascinating when it comes to each gameplay and mobility. Requested particularly if Android Wear was on that listing, he replied it’s “fairly doubtless,” which is as shut to an official affirmation as we anticipate to get right now.

“Our entire mission as an organization is to evangelize this entire idea of playing games outdoors, actual world games,” defined Hanke. “Apple Watch we expect is a superb car for that,” he added, complimenting additionally the new Apple smartwatch hardware, which features a standalone GPS and waterproofing, amongst different issues.

“As different units come on the market – if these are Android Wear units or if they're units from different quadrants which are fascinating for gameplay and mobility, and being lively – we’ll look into supporting these, too,” he stated.

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Pokémon Go has far an excessive amount of curiosity to be restricted to just one wearable platform, so it’s not shocking to hear that the corporate will work on an Android Wear app sooner or later, or these for different units.

Actually, Niantic Labs additionally simply launched its personal Pokémon Go Plus device – a $35 device you'll be able to put on as a bracelet. The Plus permits you to catch Pokémon with out pulling out your phone whereas strolling, operating, or biking.

However the query stays whether or not Pokémon Go will ultimately turn into a fad, and see a drop-off in customers and engagement over time. There’s some indication that the plateau has already been reached – its paying population dropped 79 percent, Slice Intelligence reported in September, although it’s nonetheless probably the most worthwhile mobile recreation ever.

Hanke isn’t nervous about any downturn, although. In any case, earlier than Pokémon Go, the Niantic workforce created Ingress, one other recreation that sends gamers out into the actual world. Ingress shaped the infrastructure that Pokémon Go builds on prime of – the ‘portals’ in Ingress turned Pokéstops, for instance. Creating Ingress over the course of a number of years provides Niantic the perception into how to hold Pokémon Go recent and alive, even when the novelty wears off.

One concept that will make its method to Pokémon Go sooner or later are occasions, Hanke additionally stated as we speak These will be the subsequent focus for the sport, after its worldwide launches full. And the occasions will feature the discharge of new Pokémon, he famous.

Together with occasions, Hanke confirmed that participant versus participant battles will arrive sooner or later, too.

“I've 10 yr previous son – he’s my Pokémon skilled, we play collectively – he needs to battle his buddies in Pokémon Go,” Hanke admitted. “Battling is one thing we speak quite a bit about. It’s in all probability one thing that will make its means onto our roadmap.”

Hanke additionally stated the corporate has talked about buying and selling, and simply introduced the launch of “buddy Pokémon” which helps you to present off your favourite Pokémon on your avatar and gather sweet whereas strolling round.

The CEO declined to supply any indication of when these upcoming features would happen, in fact.

Nevertheless, when requested about his long run imaginative and prescient for the sport, Hanke stated that now the minimal viable product is out out there, it’s actually simply the “tip of an iceberg” when it comes to the place the workforce needs to take the sport.

“I feel it will change considerably through the years.”

The one trace as to what’s in retailer was a nod to Ingress. “If you need to predict the longer term, you'll be able to take a look at the previous,” stated Hanke.

“Loads of what we’re doing with Pokémon, we discovered by way of three years of arduous work with Ingress and build up that group around the globe, maturing that know-how, the social facet of it, the group gameplay, and the occasions for Ingress are actually the lifeblood of that recreation,” Hanke stated. “I feel you possibly can anticipate to see issues like that in Pokémon Go.”